"It is an axiom that wherever Ferenc Gyurcsány is doing politics, that side cannot win the elections. This is because he is one of the country's most rejected politicians. That is why MSZP will never back Ferenc Gyurcsány.

And they will not back the Democratic Coalition either because the turn to reach 20 per cent popularity (about which they had been dreaming) did not materialise; the popularity of Ferenc Gyurcsány's party is at the same level as LMP's" – this is how a Socialist politician who is known nationwide commented last weekend in Hungarian daily Népszabadság on Ferenc Gyurcsány's pamphlet about the Left aiming for defeating the government and preparing for the post-Orbán era.

When presenting the pamphlet entitled 'Sokak Magyarországa' ('Many for Hungary'), Ferenc Gyurcsány opined that strong leadership is necessary for the opposition's victory because voters voted for strength both in 2010 and 2014. In his opinion, it would be risky to "import" a leader from outside. He envisaged a common platform and leadership for the Left and called the Orbán government a "mafia" with which no dialogue or compromise could be possible.

The number of new ideas in Gyurcsány's pamphlet is zero – another leading MSZP politician stated, adding that Bálint Magyar had already coined the definition "mafia State – mafia governance" a lot earlier in connection with the Orbán government. In his view, Ferenc Gyurcsány became a traitor of MSZP when he quit the party and founded the Democratic Coalition, thus fragmenting the Left. This politician believes that there is no alternative to MSZP on the Left.

Another leading Socialist politician thinks that Gyurcsány's pamphlet does not offer any more than with which the parties of the leftist Unity lost in 2014. In his opinion, only those can replace the Orbán government that listen to and understand the wishes of the people, and who are, at the same time, suitable for representing them.

The MSZP politician claimed that it would be a huge error if the parties of the Democratic opposition would once again be obsessed with power, themselves and each other, instead of dealing with the issues of the community and with people's everyday problems.

We will not make this mistake – the politician noted, adding that the Socialist party continues to look for those that wish to replace Viktor Orbán.

On the part of Együtt, neither Viktor Szigetvári, nor any other leading politician commented on Gyurcsány's pamphlet. However, according to certain opinions that exist in the party, the "true Gyurcsány" revealed himself in the interview given to Klubrádió.

In response to the questions posed by the host of the programme (György Bolgár), the former premier called "cheap" and "mediocre" all those that argue that he is so unpopular – also because of the character assassinations – that maybe it is not him who should proclaim the programme destined to replace the Orbán government. – Although Ferenc Gyurcsány is saying he does not have any ambitions to lead a united leftist-liberal alliance, no one believes this to him.

And, indeed, it is not the pamphlet's theses that are problematic, but that it's him who is proclaiming those theses – they told the newspaper. However, more amongst them acknowledged that right now, no other characteristic player can be seen on this political side.

Source: freehungary.hu

Republished with permission